It was Spring 2020. The world was experiencing the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and every business was faced with pivoting and adjusting to unprecedented times. It was during this time that Mammoth Labels & Packaging had just added the Domino N610i digital UV inkjet press to their label printing arsenal, bringing digital work in-house that they had been farming out. And the result? With Domino training, service support, and a driven & enthusiastic team at Mammoth, the Domino N610i enabled the Columbus, OH label manufacturer to grow their digital sales 93% in 2020. And that’s just the beginning.

Mammoth Labels & Packaging has a great story to tell. As the homepage of their website indicates, they provide ‘Larger than life packaging solutions’. We caught up with several team members including the President & CEO, Digital Pressroom Supervisor, Business Development Manager, and Finishing & Press Operator to learn more about their business. The interview was captured in this video:

VIDEO: Mammoth Labels & Packaging

“Mammoth is nothing without our customers”

Stuart Reeve, President & CEO of Mammoth begins. “At the end of the day, Mammoth is nothing without our customers. We have a wonderful base of customers, where our dedicated employee owners go the extra mile every single day to give the customers what they need on time, at the quality level they expect.

We’re based in Columbus, OH and we have about 40 employees. We’re a special company first and foremost because we are a 100% ESOP. What that means is that every person you’re going to see today owns a piece of this company. I’m the lucky person that gets to lead this extraordinary team and this special company. One of the things that make us special is our flexibility. We have customers all over the country, so we can distribute anywhere in the United States of America. We can go from graphics design to our digital press, print it, and then deliver that to the customer. We then work with the customer to supply them with a label applicator that can then put the label onto the wine bottle, in this instance, put it in a box, coding the box for you, and it goes out the door. And that’s why customers love doing business with Mammoth.”

Adding Digital

“Our flexo customers were looking to shorten their runs, add SKUs. So, in order to satisfy those customers, we took the work and farmed it out to another digital supplier. The choice to bring digital in-house became very simple for us. I hit the road with our two senior salespeople to really see who could be the right partner that we could use. We went to Labelexpo, we walked on every booth, we visited various headquarters and it very quickly became apparent that Domino was going to be the right choice for us.

With the addition of the Domino, our prime label business grew exponentially…specializing in the wine, beer, and candle industries. So, the Domino has really given us the flexibility to be able to service those customers.

When I look at the team we have here at Mammoth, I’m please to say that my Finance Director and my Marketing Director both worked for two of our largest customers. And the reason they came here is they saw what we were trying to do, the change we were creating, the forward thinking, investing in new technology to be the leader in the marketplace. So, I’m thrilled, and Domino’s helped us do that,” says Reeve.

The ‘Wow Factor’. “It’s absolutely phenomenal.”

Matt Daugherty, Digital Pressroom Supervisor at Mammoth Labels & Packaging describes his perspective on what Domino has meant to their business. “Since we’ve had digital, we’ve had so many customers tell us how pleased they are at basically the ‘wow factor’. The timeframe that we were able to deliver such a high-end product, it blows their mind. It’s absolutely phenomenal and the customers couldn’t be happier with us.”

That has translated to success not only in exceeding expectations of existing customers, but in creating greater opportunities with prospective customers as well. Curt Powell, Business Development Manager at Mammoth explains. “I think the thing that the Domino has done for us from a sales perspective is it has really given us confidence. So, when we go in and meet with a new client, we have the confidence to say ‘yes we can do that’.”

Mammoth knows that to be successful, it’s not just about capabilities. It’s about people. And they have done a great job in building their team focused on growth. Edmund McKinney, better known as ‘EJ’, is the main Grafotronics operator for finishing the printed labels, and the second Domino operator. EJ joined Mammoth simultaneously when the Domino N610i arrived at their facility. “We actually came here together, me and the Domino,” says McKinney.

The Domino Difference.

At the conclusion of our visit, we wanted to know… is there such a thing as ‘the Domino difference’?

McKinney says, “I believe ‘the Domino difference’ is the ability to reach out and get the help that you need and get the answers that you need. We went through our training right before the lockdown happened. They were still available during the entire pandemic. So, Domino… they were on top of their game the whole way.

Daugherty provides his thoughts. “To me, ‘the Domino difference’ is success…on every level. And that’s one of the best things that I like about Domino is the way it’s set up for you to succeed.”

To sum it all up, Reeve provides insight to the past as well as a look to the future.

“For Mammoth, ‘the Domino difference’ really started from the beginning with their outstanding salesforce who really listened to understand what we needed. And then the support team who helped you with the proformas, helped you do your analysis to make sure your ROI would happen. So, to start up two new pieces of European equipment in March 2020, probably wasn't the best idea. Obviously, that's when COVID hit the world. But during that process, Domino really came through with their Service Support and they safely trained us on the equipment. The amazing thing is through that period, our digital work grew 93% in 2020. We have big goals. We're going to quadruple the size of the company in the next five years and partnering with Domino is one of the main things that is going to allow us to accomplish that goal. From all our employee owners at Mammoth…Thanks, Domino.”

To view the video, please click on this link: VIDEO: Mammoth Labels & Packaging

Mammoth Labels & Packaging started as Boehm Inc. in 1952 with a focus on office equipment, stationary, stamps and engraving. Over the years as technology changed, so did the company’s focus. It entered the label printing business with two flexo presses in the late 1990’s and continued with stamps, engraving and industrial marking & coding equipment. In 2005, it became an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) in which the company is owned by the employees. Every employee is motivated in knowing that their hard work and personal success directly impacts the company’s success. Today, pressure sensitive labels make up approximately 70% of the company sales, and industrial marking & coding is 30%. For more information on Mammoth Labels & Packaging, please visit mammothpackaging.com. 

For more information on Domino digital printing, please visit dominodigitalprinting.com.